NFL's top 25 games of 2024

Wed May 15 2:01pm ET
Field Level Media

Christmas Day for NFL marketing and ticket sales departments finally arrived Wednesday with the release of the 2024 season schedule.

With subplots and peripheral angles multiplying before our eyes - hello, Netflix, welcome to NFL holiday football broadcasts - Field Level Media's football-minded contributors assembled the top 25 games of 2024.

24. Cardinals at Jets, TBD: We're grabbing our popcorn for one matchup, and one matchup alone: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. Top five draft picks likely to be near the top of the pecking order at their position for a decade.

23. Colts at Patriots, TBD: Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, meet Anthony Richardson, drafted fourth overall in 2023. Indianapolis appeared to have a hit on its hands before Richardson was shut down to undergo shoulder surgery. If he can stay healthy and Maye isn't relegated to clipboard duty behind former Colts starter Jacoby Brissett, we're eager to make early evaluations of purported franchise QBs.

22. Jaguars at Eagles, TBD: Young QBs and strong pass rush are common bonds, sure, but the plotline we're looking at is the reception for Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson. He played for the Eagles (1999) but was essentially a coach-in-training for Donovan McNabb, then served as an assistant for Andy Reid and came back from a stint in KC for a five-year run that included a Super Bowl.

21. Bears at Texans, TBD: The Bears also get a meeting with the Carolina Panthers for the second consecutive season. With all due respect to Panthers 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, the top rookie quarterback last season was Houston's C.J. Stroud. His numbers would have been the best ever single-season passing total for a Bears QB (4,108 to Erik Kramer's team record of 3,803). Stroud had 26 TD passes including the playoffs despite missing time with a concussion). The Bears hitched their wagon to No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with the rookie carrying massive talent - and expectations - in Year 1.

20. Vikings at Giants, TBD: All of the QB uncertainty one can handle on the undercard, LSU products Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Malik Nabers (Giants) in the main event.

19. 49ers at Seahawks, TBD: Maybe you overlooked it. There's not a chance Brock Purdy did. He knows new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald's defense - that of the Ravens - had him seeing ghosts in a five-interception laugher on Christmas Night last season. Macdonald's new club has a bunch of cross-training chess pieces determined to unseat the 49ers from the NFC West perch.

18. Jets at 49ers, Sept. 9: Week 1 on "Monday Night Football" is a familiar refrain for the Jets, who are hoping Aaron Rodgers has some magic left following a season-ending injury four snaps into his first start with the team in 2023. Rodgers is local - Chico, Calif., Butte JC and Cal - and went 6-3 against the 49ers with the Packers. Now 40 years old, he'll try to tip the scales toward the Jets, who are 3-11 all-time in the series with San Francisco. Jets head coach Robert Saleh has known 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan since breaking into the NFL as a low-level assistant with the Texans 15 years ago and was defensive coordinator on his staff before taking over with the Jets.

17. Cowboys at Commanders, TBD: Dan Quinn gets his second chance as a head coach in Washington and to be the champ in the NFC East, he'll have to take down his previous employer and boss, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy. Given the amount of time Quinn spent with McCarthy and Dak Prescott, don't discount the level of concern the Cowboys have entering two games with Washington.

16. Eagles vs. Packers (Brazil), Sept. 6: The youngest roster in the NFL last season belonged to the Packers, and nobody can fault what Green Bay did in the offseason. Head coach Matt LaFleur debuts his offense with Josh Jacobs at running back and a new-look defense. It'll also be a big reveal game for the Eagles, unleashing their own big-ticket offseason item, Saquon Barkley, and a number of new faces on defense.

15. Falcons at Vikings, TBD: Welcome back, Kirk Cousins, congratulations on finding a team that didn't want to invest in a young quarterback to insure its $100M guarantee to a 35-year-old starter coming off an Achilles injury. Oops. Cousins could be hailed or hated for bailing on the Vikings in free agency following 50 regular-season wins in six seasons of Skol-ing.

14. Ravens at Chargers, TBD: Los Angeles and new hire Jim Harbaugh welcome John Harbaugh and the Ravens with entertainment expected to be rich before, during and after a matchup of AFC heavyweights. John Harbaugh won the last meeting and survived a brief power outage at the Super Bowl in New Orleans to take home the Lombardi and deal Jim's 49ers a painful defeat.

13. Steelers at Broncos, Week 2: Revenge games bring out the spirit and emotion you might not otherwise find in games that don't include Mike Tomlin. Pittsburgh picked up Russell Wilson after he was scrapped at a cost north of $80 million to Denver by second-year head coach Sean Payton. Payton, of course, is still in town and brought in a rookie, Oregon's Bo Nix, to train in the system that helped make Drew Brees a legend. Don't look now, but Pittsburgh had a sneaky excellent offseason while the Broncos shed leaders and linchpins on both sides of the ball (Wilson, Justin Simmons, Jerry Jeudy). If reunions are your thing, Payton also heads back to New Orleans this season.

12. Jets at Bills, Week 17: We know they'll get an earlier go at each other on "Monday Night Football" In October, but let's give the season time to breath and Aaron Rodgers time to round back into form. He'll be recently removed from his 41st birthday but should know the names of all of his wide receivers, a task Josh Allen might need more time to complete.

11. Ravens at Cowboys, TBD: Dak Prescott was great at home last season and Dallas fortified the offensive line through the draft. Whether new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has an answer for mobile quarterbacks - namely Lamar Jackson - might be the hot-button issue for the Cowboys. Baltimore's No. 1-ranked defense in 2023 also traveled well last season, battering Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert and limiting those three teams to a combined 36 points in Ravens' road wins.

10. 49ers at Packers, Nov. 24: Week 12 and the start of a pivotal, NFC-dominated, primetime featured stretch for Green Bay with nighttime marquee matchups at Detroit (Week 14) and Seattle (Week 15) ahead. Jordan Love's two interceptions stopped the Packers short of an upset at San Francisco in the divisional playoffs in January.

9. Texans at Cowboys, TBD: C.J. Stroud appears to be special and the Texans made sure his supporting cast wouldn't be a reason for a sophomore slump. But one warning: only the Bills and Patriots have a more difficult schedule based on 2023 results and offseason moves. Among the appealing underlying matchups: Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs vs. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.

8. Bears at Packers, Jan. 5: The Week 18 finale was meaningful for Green Bay last season, and Jordan Love guided the Packers into the postseason to sweep the Bears and continue the trend Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers started. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams makes his first foray into the likely frozen tundra. Will the Bears be playing for more than a spoiler token?

7. Dolphins at 49ers, TBD: It was Dec. 4, 2022, and far more meaningful than we knew at the time when a seventh-round rookie - 49ers QB Brock Purdy - made his first career start with two TD passes in a 33-17 home win over the Miami Dolphins. Back to the scene come the Dolphins with former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel a solid bet to share some unknown intel about old boss Kyle Shanahan in the game week buildup.

6. Ravens at Chiefs, Sept. 5: Had this one been bumped back a couple months to multiply the meaningfulness in the standings and AFC playoff picture, it had an angle on a top three game of the 2024 regular season. Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes remains must-see for all the right reasons.

5. 49ers at Bills, Dec. 4: The week-after-Thanksgiving primetime game on Sunday of Week 13 should be meaningful for teams with Super Bowl aspirations.

4. Rams at Lions, TBD: Two franchises on schedule to combine for more than $350 million in deposits into Jared Goff's bank account are back at it with Detroit out to duplicate their playoff win in January over one-time Lions QB Matthew Stafford.

3. Ravens at Eagles, TBD: Star power on display? Check-check. Potential Super Bowl preview? Sure thing. Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Derrick Henry (Ravens) add firepower to a pair of offenses with explosive potential.

2. Lions at 49ers, TBD: Other than tackle eligible, think of another phrase that could spike Dan Campbell's temperature more than "at San Francisco." Didn't think so. The Lions were halfway to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl leading the 49ers handily in the NFC Championship but coughed up a 17-point lead and bowed out of the playoffs in a 34-31 defeat instead. If Campbell circled this game on the schedule in ink, we're guessing you can't read it.

1. (tie) Chiefs at 49ers, TBD: Familiar enough to be rivals, the Chiefs left with the jewels in recent games that really mattered between teams with a combined 50-18 record the past two regular seasons. San Francisco took a lashing from the Chiefs, 44-23, at home in Oct. 23 before the dawning of the Brock Purdy era.

1. (tie) Bengals at Chiefs, TBD: Don't forget Joe Burrow, he's more than the highest-paid player in 2024. The Bengals quarterback is 3-1 against the Chiefs but was sidelined with a broken wrist when the teams played in 2023. Don't look for a warm reception in Kansas City, where fans aren't soon to forget Burrow's boys calling the Chiefs' stadium "Burrow-head" based on his success at the home of Patrick Mahomes.

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

Value Picks: Week 12

Player Notes
Parker Washington Nov 24 12:10am CT
Parker Washington

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington recorded five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in a 27-24 overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals. Washington bounced back and led the team in targets and tied for the team lead for catches in Week 12 after having just two catches for 20 yards last week. The 23-year-old has been a viable fantasy option since the team's Week 8 bye and injuries to Travis Hunter (knee) and Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle), catching 18 of 25 targets for 214 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 14.3 PPR points per game in that span. The Penn State product continues to build a solid rapport with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and looks like an impactful waiver wire add for fantasy managers who scooped him up. Washington should remain a solid WR3/flex play in Week 13 against the Titans, even with Thomas expected to return.

From RotoBaller

Tyrone Tracy Jr. Nov 24 12:00am CT
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. handled 20 carries for 62 yards to go along with three catches (four targets) for 68 yards as a receiver in Sunday's 34-27 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions. Tracy played a season-high 72% of the snaps in Week 12 and had three of the four running back carries inside the 10-yard line, which is notable because veteran Devin Singletary handled all nine carries near the goal line in the past two weeks. The 26-year-old has now gone over 130 yards from scrimmage in back-to-back games, handling 23 touches in each matchup. Singletary was still involved, carrying the ball 14 times for 47 yards, but Tracy operated as the clear RB1, earning the goal-line touches and receiving work that makes him a much more appealing fantasy asset. Tracy should be viewed as a solid RB2 heading into Week 13 against the New England Patriots.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Nov 23 11:50pm CT
Davante Adams

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams has racked up nine touchdowns over the past five games after scoring twice in Sunday night's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Adams totaled five catches for 62 yards on eight targets and continues to put together a remarkable season. The 32-year-old could have had an even bigger day as nearly all of his production came in the first half, but the Rams' 31-7 halftime lead led to a more conservative plan in the second half to run out the clock. Adams and fellow superstar wide receiver Puka Nacua demand nearly all of the targets for the Rams offense, and with Matthew Stafford playing at an MVP level, both wideouts have been elite fantasy options. Adams will again rank as a solid WR1 in Week 13 at the Carolina Panthers.

From RotoBaller

Baker Mayfield Nov 23 11:40pm CT
Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) sprained his left (non-throwing) shoulder during Sunday night's loss to the Rams and will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Mayfield appeared to injure his shoulder after his touchdown pass to Tez Johnson in the second quarter, grabbing at it and grimacing in discomfort. He then made things worse on the final play of the first half on a Hail Mary attempt and didn't return for the second half. The 30-year-old quarterback was on the sidelines with his left arm in a sling for the second half, and the extent of the injury will be known on Monday following the MRI. Teddy Bridgewater took over in his absence and would be in line to start next week against the Cardinals if Mayfield misses time.

From RotoBaller

Matthew Stafford Nov 23 11:20pm CT
Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford continued to fortify his MVP case with a masterful performance in a 34-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football. Stafford completed 25 of 35 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns, all of which came in the first half as the Rams jumped out to a 31-7 lead and coasted the rest of the game. The 37-year-old Stafford has built a solid lead as the favorite for the MVP award with a stellar season, accumulating 2,557 yards and 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions in 11 games. Stafford will continue to rank as one of the best QB options in fantasy, leading an elite Rams offense that also features one of the top wide receiver duos in football in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

From RotoBaller

Teddy Bridgewater Nov 23 10:53pm CT
Teddy Bridgewater

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Teddy Bridgewater completed 8-of-15 passes for 62 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams, filling in for the final two quarters after QB Baker Mayfield (shoulder) left the game.

Fantasy Spin: The offense struggled to move the ball in the final two quarters. With preparation for a full week, he might be better against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13 if he is called upon to start. Mayfield's injury was to his non-throwing shoulder, so that's a positive sign.

From TheHuddle

Taysom Hill Nov 23 10:43pm CT
Taysom Hill

New Orleans Saints TE/QB Taysom Hill ran 10 times for just 17 yards, he threw incomplete passes and he was not targeted in the passing game in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons.

From TheHuddle

Saquon Barkley Nov 23 10:33pm CT
Saquon Barkley

Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley rushed 10 times for 22 yards and caught seven passes for 52 yards in a 24-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12. He also lost a fumble.

Fantasy Spin: Barkley had a season-low 22 rushing yards, but he did somewhat offset his struggles on the ground with a season-high seven receptions. Barkley continues to see plenty of touches, but big plays remain few and far between. He has become more of a high-floor RB2 with occasional RB1 outbursts.

From TheHuddle

Demario Davis Nov 23 10:23pm CT
Demario Davis

New Orleans Saints LB Demario Davis had a game-high 11 total stops with six solo tackles in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons.

From TheHuddle

Dante Pettis Nov 23 10:23pm CT
Dante Pettis

New Orleans Saints WR Dante Pettis had a single 14-yard reception on his only target in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons.

From TheHuddle

Dak Prescott Nov 23 9:53pm CT
Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott completed 23 of his 36 passes for 354 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12. He also ran five times for nine yards and a score.

Fantasy Spin: The Cowboys scored the final 24 points to rally to win the game with Prescott throwing multiple touchdowns for the sixth time in his last eight contests. Outside of a rough outing against Denver, Prescott has been delivering QB1 results week in and week out.

From TheHuddle

Kirk Cousins Nov 23 9:53pm CT
Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins completed 16-of-23 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints, and he ran twice for five yards.

Fantasy Spin: The yardage total was the highest of the season for Cousins, and he had his first two touchdown throws of the season in his second start. He remains more of a low-end QB2 in most fantasy leagues until further notice.

From TheHuddle

Quinshon Judkins Nov 23 9:50pm CT
Quinshon Judkins

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins averaged a paltry 2.9 yards per carry and had 47 rushing yards on 16 carries in the 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but he saved his day for fantasy managers by scoring twice on the ground in the first half in Week 12. The 22-year-old was not targeted in the passing game and has not caught a pass in the last two games. Judkins also suffered a head injury in the fourth quarter and was sent to the medical tent, but he was cleared before the end of the contest. The Ohio State product's head injury allowed Dylan Sampson to get some run late in the contest, and he took advantage of it by ripping off a 66-yard touchdown catch. Judkins hasn't been very efficient on the ground in the last three games, but as long as he's healthy enough to play in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers, where he'll remain an RB2 play in fantasy football.

From RotoBaller

Michael Wilson Nov 23 9:40pm CT
Michael Wilson

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson has immediately become a legitimate contributor for the Cardinals and fantasy managers in the last two games with Marvin Harrison Jr. out following an appendectomy. For the second straight week, Wilson had double-digit receptions (10) and over 100 yards (118) on a team-15 targets in the team's 27-24 overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in Week 12. Last week, the 25-year-old caught 15 of his 18 targets for 185 yards. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has latched onto Wilson as his top target with Harrison sidelined, making him a popular waiver-wire pickup last week. If Wilson is still available in your league, he needs to be scooped up immediately. It's unclear if Harrison will be ready to return in Week 13 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but even if he does come back, Wilson should remain involved in a fantastic matchup against a Bucs defense that has given up tons of yardage the last few weeks through the air.

From RotoBaller

Alvin Kamara Nov 23 9:40pm CT
Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara's (knee) MRI exam showed an MCL sprain, a source told Nick Underhill of New Orleans Football. Kamara avoided a major injury in Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12, but it's unclear if he'll be forced to miss time. It's possible that the 30-year-old misses time, but he is not dealing with a long-term injury. Fantasy managers should expect Kamara to miss at least one game, which means that rookie Devin Neal would be in line for lead-back duties in a strong matchup in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins. Kamara has been a major disappointment for fantasy managers in 2025 in a struggling Saints offense. He had only three carries for 11 yards and caught both his targets for four yards on Sunday before leaving early. Neal finished with seven carries for 18 yards and caught five of seven targets for 43 yards through the air. Taysom Hill had a team-high 10 carries for 17 yards and will also be much more involved in the backfield for the Saints if Kamara misses time going forward.

From RotoBaller

Alvin Kamara Nov 23 9:33pm CT
Alvin Kamara

Updating a previous report, New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara (knee) is believed to have suffered a sprained knee in the Week 12 game against the Atlanta Falcons. He is scheduled for an MRI to determine the full extent of the injury, but the hope is that he avoided a major injury.

Fantasy Spin: If Kamara is forced to miss time, Devin Neal would be the biggest beneficiary from a fantasy perspective. The Saints likely would use Taysom Hill in the backfield for some trick plays. We'll wait to find out more about Kamara after his MRI results.

From TheHuddle

Baker Mayfield Nov 23 9:23pm CT
Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (shoulder) left the Week 12 game against the Los Angeles Rams after hurting his non-throwing left shoulder on the final play of the first half. He is considered doubtful to return. Mayfield completed 9-of-19 passes for 41 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions with 19 rushing yards before departing.

Fantasy Spin: With a lopsided score on the board, Teddy Bridgewater is likely to finish up, as there is no sense aggravating Mayfield's injury further the game out of reach. We'll keep an eye on his injury into the new week, and we'll know a lot more by Wednesday or Thursday once practice resumes.

From TheHuddle

Darnell Mooney Nov 23 9:20pm CT
Darnell Mooney

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney made an immediate impact with Drake London (knee) out in the team's Week 12 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Although Mooney only had three targets in the 24-10 victory on the road, he made his three receptions count, leading the team with 74 receiving yards and finding the end zone for the first time in 2025. The 28-year-old's 74 yards were also a season high. Efficiency could be a problem going forward with quarterback Kirk Cousins taking over for the injured Michael Penix Jr. (knee) for the rest of the year, but Mooney could have more opportunities as Atlanta's WR1 with London dealing with a PCL sprain. London is considered week-to-week and could miss the team's Week 13 contest against the New York Jets. Coming into Sunday's game, Mooney had exactly one catch in three of the last four contests. However, he'll be in play again next week as a WR4/flex in fantasy if London misses a second straight game.

From RotoBaller

Baker Mayfield Nov 23 9:20pm CT
Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) is doubtful to return to Sunday night's contest against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium due to a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Mayfield injured his left shoulder near the end of the first half of Week 12 and is unlikely to return in the second half. The 30-year-old veteran went 9-for-19 passing for 41 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in the first half, adding 19 rushing yards on four carries. Mayfield's second interception came on a Hail Mary attempt with time expiring in the second quarter. The Bucs were trailing 31-7 going into the second half, which could play into Tampa's decision to sit Mayfield for the entire second half. Teddy Bridgewater will take over the rest of the way. As of now, it's unclear if Mayfield's shoulder injury is serious enough to put him in danger of missing the Week 13 game against the Arizona Cardinals.

From RotoBaller

Kenneth Gainwell Nov 23 9:10pm CT
Kenneth Gainwell

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell had his second straight big game in his team's 31-28 Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears, recording 10 carries for 92 yards and six receptions for 30 yards on six targets. The 26-year-old has emerged as a featured player in the Pittsburgh passing game in recent weeks, recording 13 receptions on 14 targets over the last two games. Notably, fellow Steelers running back Jaylen Warren did not earn a target in Week 12. Gainwell also out-gained Warren 92 yards to 68 yards on the ground, despite logging eight fewer carries. While Pittsburgh is likely to continue featuring both backs, Gainwell may be eating into Warren's playing time with his recent performance. For the season, Gainwell is now averaging over five yards per touch. He's worthy of flex consideration for fantasy managers heading into a Week 13 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

From RotoBaller